The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-12-02
JESSE poHEtoY HELPLESS AT LAST.
II VIII Never More Be in His Power
20 Escape from HIS Jail.

70 Escape from HIS JAIL
Says q Boston special to The New
York World: Jesse Pomeroy. the noto-
rious criminal, now serving life SEN
tence. who made a futile attempt to
escape from prison Friday night lost
his sight by the explosion of gas in his
cell. Ho is totally blind, and of course
helpless to make any futher attempt to
break out of the State prison in the
Charlestown district, where he will
pass the remainder of his days. After
Pomeroy had tapped the gas main no
placed blanket in front of his cell and
turned on the gas. thinking he could
get out of tbs way before the explosion
took place. but he made mistake in
his estimate and the force Of the explo-
sion rendered him unconscious and de-
prived him of the sense of sight.
On Aug. 25 Jesse Pomeroy made an
other well-planned and desperate at.
tempt 10 escape from the Charlestown
State Prison by saving through the bars
Of his cell. 1t was purely by accident
that the young murderer's plan was
discovered, which was so cautiously
matured that he would otherwise have
succeeded. On Pomeroy's person were
found two fine saws of the best CHI lied
steel and quantity of gelatine which
he had used to hide his work. As
Pomeroy had repeatedly boasted that
the only ambition OF his life was to kill
his keepers and escape from the prison,
he has been kept close prisoner in
solitary cell in remote part OF the
building. His only visitor has been his
mother. who calls once in two months
and converses with her son through the
bars in the presence of jailer.
How Pomeroy secured the saws and
gelatine is a mystery which worries the
prison authorities, and brings to mind
the various files, knives, saws and
chiscls he has been provided with in
times past. Pomeroy is considered the
most dangerous convict in the prison.
and for some time he has been lodged
in the strongest cell in the building.
When the addition was made to the
prison, few years ago, this cell was
made Of large blocks of granite, into
which were sunk steel bars and graf
ings of unusual strength. The cell was
designed for Pomeroy for serving life
sentence, and the prison authorities
frequently answered the young mans
murderous threats by saying that If he
could escape from that cell he was at
liberty to kill as many people as he
liked. Pomeroy has always replied that
no cell would hold him, and he would
have the keepers life in good time.
On the ght this plan was discover
ed Keeper Winslow went h rounds as
usual, and while waiting to be relieved
by the next watch he leaned accidental
ly against the creating of the window
which opens from the corridor opposite
Pomeroy's cell into the prison yard.
To Winslow's amazement the great
inch and a-half bars yielded. He press
ed his hand against them and two of
the bars fell to the pavement below.
The entire watch was aroused, and
they instinctively began the search of
the prison at Pomeroy's cell. BY test
ing the bars In the window of the
young murderer's cell it was found
that enough Of them had been sawed
through to admit the passage of mans
body.
They were held in place by gelatine.
colored by the bits of steel filing so that
It could not be detected. There was
no dust or bits of iron to BIO seen, and
the work had been done as carefully as
II must have been done noiselessly to es-
cape the ears of the Waterman. Pomeroy
was at once searched and two steel
saws were found secreted in the lining
of his prison jacket He was furious at
the discovery of his plot and declared
that II they had given him time to saw
one more bar in the corridor window
he would have killed the Waterman
and made good his escape. To do this
would require the help of confederates
outside before he could have scaled the
high prison wall which surrounds the
yard.
The prison officials believe that all
this had been arranged and that Friday
night had been set for his escape. 1t
is also the opinion of the keepers that